


Lock And Key

by CaitClandestine



Category: Fortnite (Video Game), Lachlan Power - Fandom, The Pack (Minecraft), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: M/M, but I love Mitchell so, pretty Mitch-centric tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaitClandestine/pseuds/CaitClandestine
Summary: Rob meets Lachlan's family.
Relationships: Robert Latsky/Lachlan Power
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	Lock And Key

**Author's Note:**

> all this staying at home doing wonders for my productivity and my to-do list :D

The thing about international flights is that they give you a lot of time to be alone with your thoughts. Heading from Toronto all the way to Brisbane is longest flight Rob’s ever been on and honestly, he’s not enjoying himself. He’d refused to spend all his hard-earned money on upgrading to more than premium economy and started regretting that decision about three hours ago and if he thinks about how many more hours he’ll be stuck in his tiny, claustrophobic seat he could cry. 

The situation isn’t improved any by the fact that his excitement over visiting Australia for the first time and seeing Lachlan who was last over almost five months ago is struggling to keep his attention in the face of the overwhelming anxiety he has about meeting Lachlan’s family. 

He’s not going to just be casually introduced to his boyfriends parents and silbings oh no, his visit has been timed perfectly to see him boarding a bus with some thirty members of the family Power for a large, biannual family reunion weekend less than a day after he touches down. 

Lachlan thinks it’s funny, assures him it’ll be fine and says Rob can’t fly out any earlier because he’s going to be away at some kind of event for the week prior and for sure Rob searched and made sure the event actually existed because Lachlan is exactly the type to play him like that. 

As the plane touches down and he makes his way through customs the nerves are outweighed by joy as he spots Lachlan waiting for him, wrapping him into a hug that’s so tight Rob can barely breathe but it’s so right, so perfect and so home. 

“Missed you so much” Lachlan says against his ear, pressing a quick kiss to the side of his head.

“Missed you more” Rob counters, squeezing back until he has to pull away to finally grab some air and look at Lachlan proper.

He’s dressed up, black denim jacket and show-shined leather boots and perfect hair and just, Lachlan. Rob feels a a little of the weight on his shoulders lift at the sight of his partner.

“Come on then, let’s see this fancy car and fancy house” He announces after Lachlan manages to squeeze the life out of him twice more, even picking him up and spinning him round like in the movies and Rob would be lying if it didn’t make his heart flutter.

The Tesla is suitably impressive and Lachlan looks far too good driving it, good enough that Rob’s pretty distracted from his first views of Australian city scenery and wondering just how they could use the self-driving features to their advantage.

Like his old rental, Lachlan’s new house is by the water and is quite frankly ridiculous. It’s giant and wildly furnished but entirely Lachlan right down to the pile of shoes dumped right next to what’s probably a designer shoe rack just inside the door. 

He gets a quick tour, says hello to Billy who’s in the middle of organising another of Lachlan’s giveaways before he finds himself alone in the loungeroom while Lachlan’s wandered out to his also very fancy backyard to take a phone call. 

His anxiety comes rushing back all at once when he sights the small side wall filled with framed pictures. Family pictures. The family Rob’s literally about to meet all of, have them all judge him in an instant. It’s terrifying, not least because he really, really wants to make a good impression on Mitchell, Lachlan’s younger brother. The younger brother that Lachlan absolutely adores and no doubt highly values the opinion of. They haven’t even been dating for a whole year but Rob knows they’re serious and that’s part of why, joking aside, he’s being invited and it means everything but doesn’t make him any less intimidated.

“I’m really fucking nervous” He admits to Lachlan over lunch because honestly has always served him well, “What if your family doesn’t like me?”

Lachlan rolls his eyes. 

“You’ll be fine, they’re gonna like you I mean except for some of my cousins maybe, but they’re just going to be jealous that i’ve got a handsome international boyfriend and they don’t”

“I’m serious” Rob insists, “This is a big thing Lachlan, a really big thing”

Meeting Mitchell is the biggest of big things. Rob’s lost count of how many times he’s made Lachlan go over things with him, how many articles and videos he’s watched, how many hours he’s lost to standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror practicing.

“What if your brother doesn’t like me?”

“He’s going to like you, I swear there’s no way you can fuck up meeting him that badly, we’ve been over it a hundred times and all that’s going to matter to him is that you’re trying because trust me, ninety percent of our relatives literally could not give less of a fuck about him”

There’s still laughter in Lachlan’s voice but an abrupt sadness in his expression that makes Rob reach over the table to link their hands. 

“He knows how much I love you and that counts for a lot” Lachlan adds, “I don’t want to say some bullshit about how he’s got a sixth sense for people but he’ll know if i’m happy and right now i’m not happy because you’re not – you know I didn’t invite you as a trap right? I know i’m joking about it but I really do want you to meet everyone, for everyone to meet you because you’re really important to me and I want my family to know that”

Lachlan squeezes his hands. “I didn’t think it would stress you out this much” He says a little quieter, “I, we don’t have to g-”

“No” Rob interrupts, “Of course we’re going, I wouldn’t do that to you” 

He knows how excited Lachlan is, been talking about it for months now. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, it’s just like how I really don’t do business meetings, freak out about them but then they always turn out alright”

There’s a reason Rob finished his commerce degree and then promptly turned around started Cosmic, business people and all their assosicated pagentry scare the shit out of him. He can organise anything with people he knows, it’s just large groups of strangers that turn him into a sweaty, nervous mess.

Lachlan gives a him a look that says he doesn’t quite believe him and Rob can’t blame him, he’s still trying to convince himself. 

“It’s a holiday not a business meeting” He says, “Although if you turn up in a suit and start speaking French I can’t be responsible for what my cousins might do to you”

The comment startles a laugh out of Rob, immediately thinking of just what his limited French does to Lachlan. 

They sit in silence for a few moments after that, hands still joined, Lachlan’s broad palms curved protectively around his decidedly smaller ones. 

“Would it help if you met Mitch first, like tonight? I mean you’ll have to meet mum and dad too since he kind of lives with them but we can go get him and he can stay the night here even, have pizza or something and hang out?”

“Would he want to do that?”

It would definitely help Rob since the main thing that terrifies him is having to meet Mitchell with a large audience but he doesn’t want to intrude the night before they’re all going away. 

Lachlan’s smile returns, “Pretty sure it won’t be cutting into his busy schedule”

It’s late afternoon by the time they’re finally on the road, Lachlan deciding a quick power nap was in order before making the drive and there’s still a deep knot in Rob’s stomach as they cruise along the countryside, though he does brighten when he sees some real, actual kangaroos hopping along in a paddock beside the road. The house, when it finally comes into view, is just as Rob recalls from Lachlan's pseudo-house tour video, not that he's watched it more than once of course because his partner was just so cute in it. 

There's a beat of thick, heavy silence when Lachlan turns his car off where Rob's trying to steel his nerves before he's suddenly got a face full of blonde hair, Lachlan leaning over and nuzzling into him before he pulls away.

“It's going to be just fine” Lachlan murmurs quietly, “I know you can do it”

Meeting Lachlan's parents is easy. They're bright and friendly, greeting him politely with hug and handshake respectively, asking all the usual questions about his flight and reminding Lachlan to offer him a drink, which he accepts because his mouth is so fucking dry while his palms are practically drenched the longer things go on without a single sign of Mitchell.

He gulps down his drink, nearly choking in the process. 

“We just came round to grab Mitch actually” Lachlan says easily when they ask if they're staying for dinner, “We're gonna have pizza and let him and Rob get to know each other, that and I kinda really missed him and I promise we won't be late for the bus this time”

“I've heard that before" Lachlan's mother says with a grin, reaching to give her son a nudge to the shoulder, “He'll be thrilled”

Rob nearly drops his glass onto the table as Lachlan grabs his arm, tugging him along and the excitement he'd apparently been managing to temper is obvious now as he nearly skips them down the hall and then upstairs, Rob's heart hammering with every jolting step until they come to a skidding stop outside a closed door. 

“Do not try this at home” Lachlan intones seriously, a grin so much like his mothers on his face, “I'm gonna give him a proper surprise real quick and then you can say hi, okay?”

Dumbly, Rob nods and look, the picture that greets him when Lachlan practically throws the door open isn't quite what he expected even though Lachlan's been trying his best to dispel any lingering stereotypical notion of what Rob thought Mitchell's life must be like.

The bedroom is bright and airy, huge open windows letting the last of the days light in, double bed in the middle and a wardrobe and what's got to be Lachlan's old computer judging from the nearly offensive amount of RGB radiating from it and sitting curled in an oversized beanbag is Mitchell in a neon orange hoodie, apparently in the middle of not solving a Rubix Cube, the rapid frustrated clacking a familiar sound to Rob, who has at least two in his office from when he moved into it over a year ago and he still hasn't solved the fucking things.

Lachlan tip-toes inside, kneels down and blows onto the back of his brothers neck. 

Predictably the Rubix Cube goes flying, smacking into the wall accompanied by an aborted shriek of a sound, Mitchell looking well, surprised, hunched forward and expression wary, eyes wide and he looks so much like Lachlan does when Rob jumpscares him, blonde hair a mess and blue eyes a terrifying sort of suspicious and Rob does wonder if it's a nice thing to do, brothers or not but Lachlan doesn't let the scare linger very long, grabbing Mitchell's arm and then pressing a sign against his chest that Mitchell's hands follow and Rob can see the exact moment the younger realises who it is, instantly grinning and wriggling out of the bean bag and into Lachlan's lap for a hug, arms wrapping tightly around his neck and Lachlan catches Rob's eye and beams up at him.

It takes a while for them to break apart, Mitchell's fingers flying as he signs something so fast that Rob gets exactly nothing out of it – and how he thought a few Youtube tutorials and some lessons from Lachlan could prepare him he's suddenly got no idea – and then Lachlan's laughing, fingers reaching out in reply.

“Rob's here” Lachlan says as he does it, clearly for Rob's benefit, “He wants to say hello”

Almost eerily, Mitchell turns perfectly in his direction, hands paused as if he's waiting for Rob to do exactly that and Rob hastily wipes his hands on his pants, hopes they're not too gross. 

“Just like we practiced” Lachlan adds a little quieter as he approaches, dropping down to their level, “Lucky he can't see how fucking white you are right now”

Rob's possibly old enough to have a heart attack actually, so Lachlan should shut his damn mouth. Cautiously, and with a hopeful prayer to any listening deities, Rob reaches out to tap Mitchell's arm, Lachlan's far more confident hands appearing to guide him along as Mitchell's offering up his palms, waiting. 

_Hello_ Rob manages to get out easy enough, just a literal wave of a hand that Mitchell traces along with him, earns him a smile and a hello in return. His name is next, at least a small miracle that it's only three letters long, though it feels about a hundred as he shapes them and then it's the complicated part, the actual sentence he has to make. 

_Nice to meet you_

He's sure it's not perfect but it must be close enough because Mitchell smiles at him again, returning his words to him far more fluently before pulling away and signing independently.

Lachlan laughs again, “He's wondering if he's on the wrong day” He says, “And if you had a good flight, let me find the book real quick”

Lachlan gets up, starts shuffling things around on Mitchell's cluttered desk before waving a small laminated book at him and Rob's grateful for it, how much easier it'll be when he can just guide Mitchell's hands to the words and phrases he wants. 

Lachlan presses the folder into his brothers hands and it all seems so natural, the way the two of them are suddenly having a conversation that Rob's struggling to read along with. The books about tablet sized, black, bold font with the matching braille underneath and according to Lachlan filled with a selection of common words and an alphabet for anything that's lacking, a quick and simple way for anyone – and his boyfriend had really stressed the anyone – to talk with Mitchell.

“Here, my page might be better” Lachlan says, flicking to the back of the book, revealing a selection of pretty specific Lachlan-based things and Rob does smile at words like yeet and meme strat mixed in amongst place names, job things and there at the bottom, there's a little section that must've been added in purely because his boyfriend travels so much. 

He's slow, so slow that Mitchell probably thinks his brother is dating a moron who can't read but Rob's committed, doing his very best to guide Mitchell's hands far more confidently than he feels to the right words. 

_flight long Australia beautiful Lachlan_

It's far from perfect but Rob hopes it gets his point across, doesn't realise how else his words might read until Mitchell is smiling at him, tugging his hand across the page to echo him yet again.

_beautiful Lachlan?_

To his credit, Lachlan only laughs at him a little and oh, that's not exactly what Rob meant but he gets how Mitchell got there. little smile on his face that says he knows exactly what he's communicating, just as sassy as Lachlan is. 

Lachlan's hand reaches in, tapping and then signing yes, like he is beautiful and he truly is but that's not the point, he's being silly now, clearly saying something to his brother because Mitchell's smile turns into a grin.

_"Pizza"_ Lachlan sign-says, clearly not going to share the joke, _"Lachlan's house"_

Mitchell signs something in reply and Lachlan's flipping him off all of a sudden and when Mitchell follows the shape of his hand and processes what's being said he's returning the gesture.

"He's also not convinced of my ability to not miss the bus" Lachlan whines, "C'mon, i'll order the pizza and we can pick it up on the way, probably quicker than getting them to deliver"

Rob mostly just stands there as Lachlan conveys this to his brother and then they start moving, Mitchell's little yellow suitcase already packed and Lachlan throwing a few extra things into a matching backpack, heading over to the computer desk to carefully put in cases and then pack what Rob knows is some pretty expensive technology that Lachlan says is worth the price a million times over.

"I'll set you two up to text when we get home" Lachlan promises, "Obviously he can't like, carry his phone everywhere when we're doing cool reunion stuff but it's definitely easier, you can talk about how awesome I am"

Mitchell moves surprisingly fluidly through his room and trotting down the stairs ahead of them like it's nothing, not even a hand on the railing and he's outside long before they are, looking almost impatient as they say their goodbyes, Lachlan's father almost pleading with his son to maintain everyone's sanity and turn up on time tomorrow.


End file.
